U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,261 which is owned by the assignee of this invention and U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,137 disclose article carriers of the wrap-around type in which apertures are formed in the top panel of the wrapper for receiving the necks of packaged bottles. Bottle engaging tabs are formed about the peripheries of the bottles and constitute positioning and gripping means for the bottles. Carriers of this type ordinarily are formed of paperboard material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,962 discloses an article carrier of the top gripping type which is formed of plastic material and which, by means of a collar, envelops the necks of packaged bottles and supports the bottles on outwardly projecting flanges formed thereon. This carrier does not grip the bottles at points spaced vertically apart and is thus not extremely well adapted for stable vertical stacking of one carrier and its bottles atop another carrier and its bottles.